OFRF Welcomes Two New Members to Its Board of Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Carrie-Anne Palmeri of Nature’s Path Organic Foods and Bryan Wood of Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative join OFRF’s Board of Directors.

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Jan. 13, 2025 – The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) is proud to announce the addition of two esteemed professionals to its Board of Directors: Carrie-Anne Palmeri, Organic Program Manager at Nature’s Path Organic Foods, and Bryan Wood, Director of Farm Resources at Organic Valley’s CROPP Cooperative. These two highly respected leaders bring valuable expertise to help guide OFRF’s mission to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems.

Bryan Wood

Carrie-Anne Palmeri

Carrie-Anne Palmeri serves as Organic Program Manager to Nature’s Path Organic Foods, North America’s largest independent organic breakfast food company whose pursuit has been to “leave the Earth better than we found it” throughout its upwards of 50-year legacy as a pioneer & steward to the organic community. With the personal mission of advancing organic integrity from seed to fork and championing equitable access to the organic opportunity across borders, Palmeri builds on nearly two decades of extensive experience across the industry to lead the Nature’s Path Sustainable Supply Chain Program as well as its Organic Policy Advocacy, Regulatory Affairs, and Strategic Partnerships.

“It is an honor to join the Organic Farming Research Foundation Board to support the critical work they’re doing to equip the organic sector for success,” said Palmeri. “OFRF’s powerful farmer-driven research; commitment to meaningful and equitable access to organic education and technical outreach; coupled with targeted organic-first policy advocacy is key to the health of our collective food future.”

Bryan Wood, a seasoned advocate for organic farmers, brings over a decade of experience from Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative, where he develops programs and services that strengthen farmer support and enhance financial stability. Through his hands-on leadership, Wood has advanced initiatives such as farm financial analysis and strategic pay price tools, ensuring organic farmers receive fair compensation for their work.

“Joining OFRF’s board is an opportunity to further amplify the voices of organic farmers and build critical bridges between growers and the broader industry,” said Wood. “I’m excited to support OFRF’s work advancing research and policies that empower farmers to succeed.”

Palmeri and Wood join a distinguished group of board members committed to OFRF’s farmer-first mission. Their combined expertise with major organic brands will enhance OFRF’s capacity to connect the needs of organic farmers with the wider organic industry. This alignment is crucial as OFRF advances its strategic plan for 2024-2029, which prioritizes farmer-focused research, education, and advocacy for organic systems.

These appointments come at a pivotal time for OFRF, which recently launched its Organic Stewardship Council (OSC)—a new initiative to complement the board’s efforts by assembling a farmer-led group dedicated to advancing organic systems and research nationwide. The OSC, alongside the expertise of Palmeri and Wood, underscores OFRF’s commitment to fostering collaboration that uplifts farmers while driving sustainable change across the organic sector.

“The organic sector thrives on collaboration,” said April Jones Thatcher, OFRF Board President, and Farmer/Founder of April Joy Farm. “With Carrie-Anne and Bryan’s extensive backgrounds and their dedication to organic farming, we’re better positioned than ever to bridge the needs of organic farmers with the broader industry and continue driving impactful change.”

As OFRF continues to champion farmer-driven research and equitable access to organic education, these new board members will play a pivotal role in steering the organization toward a more sustainable and resilient future for organic agriculture.

For more information about OFRF, its mission, and the Organic Stewardship Council, please visit www.ofrf.org.

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About Organic Farming Research Foundation
The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, with a remote team based across the U.S., works to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. OFRF cultivates organic research, education, and federal policies that bring more farmers and acreage into organic production. For more information about OFRF, please visit our website: www.ofrf.org.

Media Contact
Ashley Dulaney, Communications Director, OFRF
ashley@ofrf.orf
P.O. Box 440, Santa Cruz, CA 95061

By admin|2025-01-13T12:56:25+00:00January 13th, 2025|News, Press Release|

Director of Farm Resources, Organic Valley

Bryan Wood is the Director of Farm Resources at Organic Valley / CROPP Cooperative, where he leads programs and services that advance organic farming practices across the United States. His team’s efforts focus on enhancing farm profitability through management practices, providing veterinary and nutritional support, offering organic certification assistance, and improving animal husbandry.

With over 12 years of experience at Organic Valley, Bryan has held multiple roles, including Regional Pool Manager for Michigan and Northern Indiana, where he provided support to member-owner dairy farmers, and Mideast Divisional Manager, overseeing a team of field staff supporting more than 500 farmers across four states.

Bryan holds degrees in Finance and Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He currently resides in Michigan, where he enjoys fishing, hunting, and raising four children.

By admin|2025-01-10T18:50:25+00:00January 10th, 2025|Board|

Looking Back, Planning Ahead: The Farm Bill, Government Funding, and Political Gridlock

2024 was a year to remember in the political realm, not for the actions taken by Congress, but rather the cans kicked down the proverbial road. We at OFRF wanted to take a moment to review some of the happenings at the close of last year, and give a brief overview of what that means for the legislative and administrative agendas in 2025.

What Happened in 2024?

Long story short, the last year of the 118th Congress was defined by lots of aspiration and almost no delivery. Here’s a quick rundown of the items we’ve been watching:

The 2018 Farm Bill was extended (for the second time) for a year, expiring in September 2025. This extension did not include crucial programs that do not receive mandatory levels of funding, like the Organic Certification Cost Share Program and the 1890 Land Grant University Scholarship program.
FY25 Appropriations was delayed well into the fiscal year by passing a Continuing Resolution (CR) that funds the government at FY24 levels into March of 2025. For reference, Congress usually starts working on the next fiscal year budget in February of the preceding year, potentially creating a log jam with all of the rest of the legislative actions needed this year.
The federal debt limit was not raised or amended, which means that the United States Treasury will need to order all agencies to begin “extraordinary measures” almost immediately in the new administration.

What Needs to Happen in 2025?

Because of the lack of action in 2024, that has just added more work to the legislative calendar in 2025:

The Farm Bill is in desperate need of updating, and the Farm Bill process starts over from square one; meaning that marker bills and priorities need to be reintroduced and revisited, and new Members of Congress must be educated on the importance and impacts of the Farm Bill’s many policies on their States and Districts.
Both FY25 and FY26 Appropriations packages will need to be finished and passed to both avoid a government shutdown, and also make sure the programs and supports that our farmers and researchers need continue!
One of the biggest things taking up space on the legislative calendar so far this year has been Reconciliation, which is a detailed budget and legislative process that Congress can use to move money around that has not yet been obligated to a specific program or line item. As some might remember from the Democrat’s use of this early in the Biden Administration it is difficult and very procedurally demanding.
Another budget-related task is the debt limit, mentioned above. This is different from the need to pass a budget, or reconcile for different priorities; this is the authority of the United States Treasury to establish new debts to pay for ongoing obligations. To put simply, this is the debt limit on the nation’s credit cards, and we’re close to hitting it once again.

What You Can Do

While this legislative gridlock is frustrating, there are ways to make your voice heard and advocate for the programs that matter most:

Call Your Representatives and Senators: Ask them what their stance is on organic agriculture and agricultural research. Let us know how those conversations go!

Highlight the Impacts: Share personal stories about how these programs benefit you, your community, or your operation. Legislators are more likely to act when they hear directly from their constituents.

Stay Engaged: Keep up with the latest developments and participate in advocacy opportunities as they arise. Sharing information with your network can amplify the message and drive greater action.

This continuing situation underscores the importance of public engagement and advocacy to ensure that the programs supporting organic farmers, agricultural research, and rural resilience remain funded and effective. As Congress resumes discussions in the coming months, OFRF will continue to push for robust investments in organic agriculture and support for critical orphan programs.

Your voice is vital. Together, we can ensure that the value of organic farming, research, and education is recognized and supported in Washington.

Stay engaged. Stay informed. Together, we can make a difference.

We’re here for it,

Gordon

OFRF Senior Policy & Programs Manager

gordon@ofrf.org

By admin|2025-01-23T21:49:32+00:00January 9th, 2025|Gordon's Policy Corner, News|

Field Day Toolkit: Build Community Through Sharing Knowledge

By Gordon Merrick, Senior Policy & Programs Manager at OFRF

Field days have been a longstanding tool in the agriculture community, both to disseminate research being done at Agricultural Experiment Stations and Land Grant Universities, but also communities and non-governmental organizations. These events provide a unique space for farmers, researchers, and agricultural professionals to come together to share insights, learn from one another, and foster future collaborations. At OFRF, we know that hosting a field day can feel like a daunting task, especially if it is your first go around! That’s why we are thrilled to announce the release of a new resource to guide you through the process of planning and hosting a field day, and it’s available in both English and Spanish!

Why Host a Field Day?

Field days are about a lot more than just showcasing research findings or demonstrating a new technique or technology. They are opportunities to create meaningful connections within the larger agricultural community. We know, through our NORA-22 report, that farmers are each other’s greatest source of knowledge, and in-person events like these can amplify the exchange of ideas and information tremendously. Additionally, they offer researchers and other professionals a chance to ground their work in the realities of farming, ensuring that their research continues to be relevant, practical, and impactful.

Hosting a field day on your own farm can have some additional co-benefits too, like having a group of experts look at your operation and discuss opportunities to improve it through implementing the latest research findings with USDA programs that provide detailed technical and financial assistance.

Making Field Days Easier: OFRF’s New Toolkit!

To make harnessing these benefits as easy as possible, we’ve developed a comprehensive Field Day Toolkit that provides a roadmap and customizable materials to plan, host, and follow up on a successful event. This guide includes practical tips, checklists, and resources to streamline the process, and maximize the impact of your field day! Whether you’re new to hosting events, or looking to refine your approach, the toolkit covers every phase of organizing one.

Highlights of the toolkit include:

Step-by-Step Guidance: A detailed roadmap to plan, execute, and evaluate a successful field day.
Audience Engagement Tips: Best practices for creating interactive, farmer-focused events that maximize learning and participation.
Logistics Planning: Checklists for equipment, scheduling, and accessibility to ensure a seamless experience.
Outreach Strategies: Ideas to promote your event and attract attendees from diverse backgrounds.

This resource is also available in Spanish, ensuring that more communities have access to tools that help build knowledge and collaboration.

We at OFRF know that agriculture thrives when we can effectively and efficiently share knowledge with one another. As the challenges facing organic and non-organic producers continue to grow, the exchange of ideas and practices through events like field days are even more valuable. This toolkit helps make these events accessible, inclusive, and impactful; ultimately leading to a stronger foundation for the agricultural community and economy.

Start Planning Your Field Day Now!

Hosting a field day doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right tools and a clear plan, you can create and implement an event that inspires action, builds relationships, fosters growth, and can even better your operation! Download our Field Day Toolkit today and take the first step toward bringing your community together.

Together we can continue to grow, learn, and collaborate to create a sustainable future for American agriculture, one field day at a time.

Download the Field Day Toolkit in English

Download the Guía para el Día de Campo (Field Day) en Español

By admin|2025-01-09T21:34:29+00:00January 9th, 2025|News, TOPP West|